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It’s October and while you may be seeing lots of pumpkins and Halloween-themed items around, there’s something else you’ll be seeing a lot of as well–the color pink! October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and its symbol is the pink ribbon. Many retailers and brands have special promotions this month so that if you make a purchase, a portion of that purchase will go toward breast cancer research. Even local businesses are doing their part. My hair salon is providing small pink hair strand extensions for $10, all of which is donated to breast cancer research. They started it last year and, as you can imagine, it’s very popular with teens and college girls–all for a very good cause!

Aside from the 5K walks/runs and promotions, one way you can acknowlege this month is by assessing your own health and making adjustments where needed. While we can’t control everything that puts us at risk for developing breast cancer, a healthy diet and regular physical activity are two areas that can reduce the risk and make a healthier body overall.

Start with your diet. Don’t only look at whether or not you’re overweight, but ask yourself if you’re eating a well-balanced diet. Are you getting the right amount of nutrients your body needs to function properly? Stress and fatigue can take its toll on us over time and when we don’t get the proper nutrition it only adds insult to injury. If you’re falling short in some areas, see what you need to do to create a healthy eating plan and learn how easy it can be to add more fruits and vegetables to your meals. Before you know it, you’ll be filling in those gaps and on the right track.

Look at your physical activity level. Are you exercising regularly, a couch potato or somewhere in between? Do you need tips on how to add a little more activity into each day? Believe it or not, it’s really not that difficult. Exercise doesn’t mean dropping tons of money to join a trendy gym–even everyday activities count toward exercise. Sometimes it’s making simple changes to your daily routine that adds up to a big difference. You’ll find the more active you become, the more energy you’ll have.

So this month let’s raise awareness for the many women and their families who have been touched by breast cancer and use it as an opportunity to help improve our own health.